I REMEMBER THE first three really terrific meals I had in Boston. They were at Sage, Biba and Sonsie, and they were quite possibly all some version of melt-in-your-mouth ravioli. This was during the cult of Italian cuisine in the 1990s. I can still see the beautiful presentations; taste the sage, browned butter and my first sip of a Rodney Strong Cab; feel the delicate pasta on my tongue. And I recall the excellent company, tables of five or 10 friends. Since then, Boston’s dining scene has exploded with fusions of global cuisines as well as a move toward local, fresh and seasonal ingredients, and every year I find a new favorite. We now claim some of the top restaurants and chefs in the country.

For me, food is tied to my passion about New England. For most of us, food and passion are inextricably linked; appropriately, we’ve joined the two together in this, our wine and dine issue. Sex and the City 2 star Cynthia Nixon dishes on what she thinks is sexy (page 70), Boston Harbor Hotel chef Daniel Bruce enlightens us on some of the most gorgeous and shapely glassware (page 76) and six of Boston’s most beloved chefs connect their passions with food (page 78). During the photo shoot, the chefs agreed that the sexiest foods are those you eat with your hands. Bring on the raw bars, ribs and fresh fruit—all our summer favorites! Eat your heart out, Boston.

JANICE O’LEARY
EDITOR IN CHIEF